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Moscow too strong for Saint Petersburg

Ian Nepomniachtchi: On the winning team.

Gazprom sponsorship enabled the 22nd match between Russia's two main cities to go ahead this year in Saint Petersburg. Moscow, on paper the stronger side on all ten boards, won with a late surge but the home team tied the first set of games and pushed the capital close in the second and final round.

The natural board ones for each team were occupied elsewhere (Peter Svidler from St.Petersburg and Moscovite Alexander Grischuk were playing in the World Cup final), but five of Russia's top ten were still present.

Board

col.

Saint Petersburg

Rating

R1

Rating

Moscow

col.

1

B

Nikita Vitiugov

2726

0-1

2737

Alexander Morozevich

W

2

W

Evgeny Alekseev

2662

½-½

2718

Ian Nepomniachtchi

B

3

B

Konstantin Sakaev

2609

½-½

2716

Dmitry Jakovenko

W

4

W

Ildar Khairullin

2642

½-½

2711

Alexei Dreev

B

5

B

Evgeny Romanov

2639

1-0

2710

Vladimir Malakhov

W

6

W

Alexander Khalifman

2627

½-½

2692

Ernesto Inarkiev

B

7

B

Maxim Matlakov

2630

½-½

2688

Alexander Riazantsev

W

8

W

Vasily Emelin

2568

½-½

2682

Boris Grachev

B

9

B

Alexander Shimanov

2565

½-½

2666

Vadim Zvjaginzev

W

10

W

Valery Popov

2545

½-½

2637

Evgeny Najer

B

Saint Petersburg

5-5

Moscow

A good first day for Saint Petersburg. However, the underdogs were eventually overcome on the lower boards in the return leg.

Board

col.

Saint Petersburg

Rating

R2

Rating

Moscow

col.

1

W

Nikita Vitiugov

2726

1-0

2737

Alexander Morozevich

B

2

B

Evgeny Alekseev

2662

½-½

2718

Ian Nepomniachtchi

W

3

W

Konstantin Sakaev

2609

½-½

2716

Dmitry Jakovenko

B

4

B

Ildar Khairullin

2642

½-½

2711

Alexei Dreev

W

5

W

Evgeny Romanov

2639

½-½

2710

Vladimir Malakhov

B

6

B

Alexander Khalifman

2627

0-1

2692

Ernesto Inarkiev

W

7

W

Maxim Matlakov

2630

0-1

2688

Alexander Riazantsev

B

8

B

Vasily Emelin

2568

0-1

2682

Boris Grachev

W

9

W

Alexander Shimanov

2565

½-½

2666

Vadim Zvjagintsev

B

10

B

Valery Popov

2545

0-1

2637

Evgeny Najer

W

Saint Petersburg

3.5-6.5

Moscow

So Moscow won 11.5-8.5 over the two rounds.

The rate of play was: 90' (+30") then 30' (+30").

Here again the rule of no draw offers until the first time control was applied. Maybe the Russians are showing the way to what will become standard everywhere in the near future?